A place to learn a new language, the Koehler Method of Dog Training, which is an entire language of communication between owner(s) and their dog. Let the journey begin.
When I'm doing the left training turn, I don't keep the leash on my left leg, correct? Also, what do I do if Sofie gets ahead of me on the left turn, I think you had warned me about that, that I could fall over her, it felt weird. I have very short legs and a long torso, so Sofie actually comes up to ABOVE my knee, almost to my thigh. Also, I need all the turns to be more fluid. After watching the videos, I realize that I'm still spending so much time thinking about the mechanics of it that I am not fluid yet. In time I hope. Thanks!! Nancy
* Step 1: Snub the leash with your left hand on your left thigh when the left foot is forward. * Step 2: THEN, once you have the snub, plant your right foot at a 45 degree angle towards the left and shift your weight from your left foot to that planted right foot. * Step 3: Now that you have shifted your weight and the snub is still in place, take a small step with your left foot, knee slightly raised. * Step 4: Drop the snubbed leash and continue heeling.
Breathe. Steady progress, Nancy, this is all good, steady progress. You are doing fine.
Yea you DO keep the leash snubbed on your left leg 1)before making the LTT, and 2) during the LTT. Once the LTT is made, the snub ceases and it's back to Walking Position with the leash in your right hand , relaxed, by your right thigh.
Once you do it, the LTT corr8(any of the turns) you will FEEL that it is right, fluid, and makes sense. After that experience, it becomes easier to train your muscles what to do because you know, muscle wise, how the correct turn(s) feel in motion.
Can you rub you stomach and pat your head simultaneously? Now switch it, can you rub your head and pat your stomach simultaneously? Takes focus, thought, and practice to do either well. You are training your muscles to move in new ways, it's a foriegn language right now so takes some serious Fido practice sessions which you are doing. You are making great progress .
Hi. Thanks so much Roxanne. I'm trying. I will take all of your comments and incorporate them into my practice tomorrow. I returned to the office in White Plains NY today for the first time since Covid. Boy, was I wiped! The traffic was horrible! You'd never know we are still in the middle of a pandemic with numbers rising again. Ugh! Today was Kaitlin's birthday, and although we will celebrate hers and Sean's this coming Saturday, a friend dropped by with the most delicious birthday cake tonight for Kaitlin, so no training tonight. I will do Fido tomorrow in the office, as we have a long hall way and it will be perfect. Also, there was a girl skateboarding while I was trying to work Sofie the other night; she was distracting ME let alone Sofie. You make it seem so effortless and easy in your videos. By the way, how's Sadie doing? It must be much easier to have your instructor there with you showing you in person. Did my neighbor Mike Mitchell call you about Archie yet. Just between the two of us, Archie, although a very sweet dog, is not trained well; he jumped up on me in the street! Sofie still tries to jump on people when they come to the door, so tonight when our friends dropped over we just put her in her crate, Chester too. Take care. Nancy
Every new student struggles to learn these mechanics. No exceptions, myself included so very long ago. Man, I remember when trying to work a smart phone for the first time, soooo frustrating 😫 or learning to drive (learned on a stick shift) or learning how to use a Blog and upload a video corr8! All learning is initially hard as it is new. Just takes practice, correct practice and bull dogged determination to figure it out.
I am not a natural in most disciplines, but I am determined and that determination is what got me through the first two years training with Margot while trying to learn how to do these mechanics. Man, I was in tears at times because Margot would ridicule me, in front of others, which caused me to become an emotional basket case. Took me thinking, dreaming, video taping myself and figuring out HOW to learn, over and over and over, ad nasuem, until oneday, a piece of an exexercise made sense and flowed well in a seamless style. THEN, more self videos in slow motion, until another piece made sense with the prior piece and I put them together with more practice.
Worked for Margot for 5 years, thought I was learning Koehler Method of Dog Training, took the Koehler Instructor Cpurse online with Tony Ancheta, head if Koehler for 45 years, and he asked me, "What are you doing? Those are not Koehler mechanics." Really.🤦♀️ Turned out what I learned from Margot was her her take on Koehler Method, much more harsh than Koehler. Had to relearn EVERY mechanic. Once I graduated, I dad to create new training videos, new written instructions, everything new for every week, for my new student as I had left Margot's employment and started my own business.
Started working on my NADOI Application, took me 6 months to figure out how many hours I worked training at Applewoods for Margot, took me 6 mo this to do the Application which was excruciating pages of nth degree details. Example: How to teach the Sit from Week 1 through an AKC Obedience Novice ready trial? In written form, I had to type out in every detail how I teach the Sit. That was question 1 of 22 questions ALL requiring excruciating, explicit written instructions. And I did my Application, all 27 pages of answers, was contacted by NADOI I had passed...Part A of their application. Here was Part B. More questions and another 6+ months to write my answers for that Part B Application. I as accepted as a member and did not know until a year later that most applicants first applications were denied because they were not detailed enough. Really.
My point? I had to learn these mecha5I teach you, and it took me a long time, as I am not naturally athletic, I do not have beat, rhythm or cadence (can't dance either), I am not logical (according to my husband, Wayne the enginner), and am not mathematical. I don't have ANY of the skills or talents or natural aptitudes this dog training seemingly requires to succeed. BUT, I am bull dogged determined when I want something enough and I wanted that I saw Margot had with all the dogs in her care, those dogs revered her, every one of them, and worked for her and with her, each dog had a unique bond and relationship with Margot. That inspired me enough to want to learn as I wanted that kind of relationship with my own dog, I wanted a dog to want to work FOR me and WITH me, to do things together that did not require a leash or the dog draggin me, I wanted the freedom of a trained dog so we could go do things together. That is why I stayed with Margot for all those years, because I wanted what I saw she had. And within 2 years of being there, I knew I wanted to become an Instructor so I could train other dog owners so they could experience their own joy and freedom with their own trained dog. I just knew in my ❤ that coaching, patience, laughter, and persistence would get my students through the hard learning to achieve success with their dog. And that once they experienced that success, they would forever be transformed into a confident and competent Koehler handler with their own now great dog. They would experience the freedom, joy, and delight in their dog just as I have with my dogs.
So, it is a journey of learning, never easy or simple for anyone to learn (Jim is also struggling with Sadie), as every, EVERY new student goes through this struggle to learn. And it is in the struggle to learn they face parts of themselves they may not like or even understand. They may face their own lack of patience, their may face inner frustration, anger or lack of self-contol, they may find out they struggle to learn footwork and leash work coordination. Whatever shows up, this dog training reveals it. And this dog training then begins the process of transformation within the new student. As each new skill is learned, new confidence is gained and success is experienced. That is the inventive to Keep on learning and to Stay Steong and Carry On.
Nancy, my friend, in 6 months this will be behind you and you Sophie will easily go for a walk, she will do Place when others come over, you and she will hike off leash in New York. In another 6 months, you will be confident and competent in knowing how and what and when to do each exercise with Sophie. And she will be a source of joy as your relationship with her matures through this process of training.
When I'm doing the left training turn, I don't keep the leash on my left leg, correct? Also, what do I do if Sofie gets ahead of me on the left turn, I think you had warned me about that, that I could fall over her, it felt weird. I have very short legs and a long torso, so Sofie actually comes up to ABOVE my knee, almost to my thigh. Also, I need all the turns to be more fluid. After watching the videos, I realize that I'm still spending so much time thinking about the mechanics of it that I am not fluid yet. In time I hope.
ReplyDeleteThanks!!
Nancy
Such a focused effort.
ReplyDeleteUse "Heel" when you start, end with a Sit.
Your Left Training Turn is almost there.
* Step 1: Snub the leash with your left hand on your left thigh when the left foot is forward.
* Step 2: THEN, once you have the snub, plant your right foot at a 45 degree angle towards the left and shift your weight from your left foot to that planted right foot.
* Step 3: Now that you have shifted your weight and the snub is still in place, take a small step with your left foot, knee slightly raised.
* Step 4: Drop the snubbed leash and continue heeling.
Breathe. Steady progress, Nancy, this is all good, steady progress. You are doing fine.
Yea you DO keep the leash snubbed on your left leg 1)before making the LTT, and 2) during the LTT. Once the LTT is made, the snub ceases and it's back to Walking Position with the leash in your right hand , relaxed, by your right thigh.
ReplyDeleteOnce you do it, the LTT corr8(any of the turns) you will FEEL that it is right, fluid, and makes sense. After that experience, it becomes easier to train your muscles what to do because you know, muscle wise, how the correct turn(s) feel in motion.
Can you rub you stomach and pat your head simultaneously? Now switch it, can you rub your head and pat your stomach simultaneously? Takes focus, thought, and practice to do either well. You are training your muscles to move in new ways, it's a foriegn language right now so takes some serious Fido practice sessions which you are doing. You are making great progress .
Roxanne
Hi. Thanks so much Roxanne. I'm trying. I will take all of your comments and incorporate them into my practice tomorrow. I returned to the office in White Plains NY today for the first time since Covid. Boy, was I wiped! The traffic was horrible! You'd never know we are still in the middle of a pandemic with numbers rising again. Ugh! Today was Kaitlin's birthday, and although we will celebrate hers and Sean's this coming Saturday, a friend dropped by with the most delicious birthday cake tonight for Kaitlin, so no training tonight. I will do Fido tomorrow in the office, as we have a long hall way and it will be perfect. Also, there was a girl skateboarding while I was trying to work Sofie the other night; she was distracting ME let alone Sofie. You make it seem so effortless and easy in your videos. By the way, how's Sadie doing? It must be much easier to have your instructor there with you showing you in person. Did my neighbor Mike Mitchell call you about Archie yet. Just between the two of us, Archie, although a very sweet dog, is not trained well; he jumped up on me in the street! Sofie still tries to jump on people when they come to the door, so tonight when our friends dropped over we just put her in her crate, Chester too.
ReplyDeleteTake care.
Nancy
Nancy,
ReplyDeleteEvery new student struggles to learn these mechanics. No exceptions, myself included so very long ago. Man, I remember when trying to work a smart phone for the first time, soooo frustrating 😫 or learning to drive (learned on a stick shift) or learning how to use a Blog and upload a video corr8! All learning is initially hard as it is new. Just takes practice, correct practice and bull dogged determination to figure it out.
I am not a natural in most disciplines, but I am determined and that determination is what got me through the first two years training with Margot while trying to learn how to do these mechanics. Man, I was in tears at times because Margot would ridicule me, in front of others, which caused me to become an emotional basket case. Took me thinking, dreaming, video taping myself and figuring out HOW to learn, over and over and over, ad nasuem, until oneday, a piece of an exexercise made sense and flowed well in a seamless style. THEN, more self videos in slow motion, until another piece made sense with the prior piece and I put them together with more practice.
Worked for Margot for 5 years, thought I was learning Koehler Method of Dog Training, took the Koehler Instructor Cpurse online with Tony Ancheta, head if Koehler for 45 years, and he asked me, "What are you doing? Those are not Koehler mechanics." Really.🤦♀️ Turned out what I learned from Margot was her her take on Koehler Method, much more harsh than Koehler. Had to relearn EVERY mechanic. Once I graduated, I dad to create new training videos, new written instructions, everything new for every week, for my new student as I had left Margot's employment and started my own business.
Started working on my NADOI Application, took me 6 months to figure out how many hours I worked training at Applewoods for Margot, took me 6 mo this to do the Application which was excruciating pages of nth degree details. Example: How to teach the Sit from Week 1 through an AKC Obedience Novice ready trial? In written form, I had to type out in every detail how I teach the Sit. That was question 1 of 22 questions ALL requiring excruciating, explicit written instructions. And I did my Application, all 27 pages of answers, was contacted by NADOI I had passed...Part A of their application. Here was Part B. More questions and another 6+ months to write my answers for that Part B Application. I as accepted as a member and did not know until a year later that most applicants first applications were denied because they were not detailed enough. Really.
My point? I had to learn these mecha5I teach you, and it took me a long time, as I am not naturally athletic, I do not have beat, rhythm or cadence (can't dance either), I am not logical (according to my husband, Wayne the enginner), and am not mathematical. I don't have ANY of the skills or talents or natural aptitudes this dog training seemingly requires to succeed. BUT, I am bull dogged determined when I want something enough and I wanted that I saw Margot had with all the dogs in her care, those dogs revered her, every one of them, and worked for her and with her, each dog had a unique bond and relationship with Margot. That inspired me enough to want to learn as I wanted that kind of relationship with my own dog, I wanted a dog to want to work FOR me and WITH me, to do things together that did not require a leash or the dog draggin me, I wanted the freedom of a trained dog so we could go do things together. That is why I stayed with Margot for all those years, because I wanted what I saw she had. And within 2 years of being there, I knew I wanted to become an Instructor so I could train other dog owners so they could experience their own joy and freedom with their own trained dog. I just knew in my ❤ that coaching, patience, laughter, and persistence would get my students through the hard learning to achieve success with their dog. And that once they experienced that success, they would forever be transformed into a confident and competent Koehler handler with their own now great dog. They would experience the freedom, joy, and delight in their dog just as I have with my dogs.
ReplyDeleteSo, it is a journey of learning, never easy or simple for anyone to learn (Jim is also struggling with Sadie), as every, EVERY new student goes through this struggle to learn. And it is in the struggle to learn they face parts of themselves they may not like or even understand. They may face their own lack of patience, their may face inner frustration, anger or lack of self-contol, they may find out they struggle to learn footwork and leash work coordination. Whatever shows up, this dog training reveals it. And this dog training then begins the process of transformation within the new student. As each new skill is learned, new confidence is gained and success is experienced. That is the inventive to Keep on learning and to Stay Steong and Carry On.
Nancy, my friend, in 6 months this will be behind you and you Sophie will easily go for a walk, she will do Place when others come over, you and she will hike off leash in New York. In another 6 months, you will be confident and competent in knowing how and what and when to do each exercise with Sophie. And she will be a source of joy as your relationship with her matures through this process of training.
Breathe. Think. Practice. Laugh. Repeat.
Roxanne